1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to maternity undergarments.
2. Prior Art
Various maternity undergarments are currently on the market.
For example, the Belly Bra(copyright) acts in support function to support the lower torso and lower back lifting the weight off the pelvis and shifting it to the shoulders and back. The Belly Bra does not smooth the lines on the thigh and leg or waist.
The Prenatal Cradle(copyright) acts as a separate pc to be used over undergarments in a support function, again lifting the belly and redistributing the weight from the belly to the shoulders and the back but does not act in a girdle function.
The Maternity Longline Girdle(copyright) acts as a girdle on the lower torso supporting the belly and smoothing the thighs but does not address the waist area or bust.
The Seamless tube slip offered by Motherhood acts only as a skirt girdle smoothing the thigh area but offers no support and does not address the upper torso.
The belly belts on the market act in a support function and are separates to be worn over the undergarments.
The typical maternity undergarments create unsightly panty lines or do not cover, smooth, or shape the thigh, back, waist and leg the way a support-top pantyhose might in non-maternity garments. With the surge in contemporary and fashionable maternity clothes on the market, there is a need for an undergarment that acts as a body smoother to create smooth lines at the thigh and buttocks and back waist, creating a better fit and supporting the look and feel of more fashionable maternity clothes.
The invention provides a full body slip for a mother-to-be, an embodiment of which is marketed under the trademark Mommy Shapers(trademark). A maternity slip of the present invention acts as a body smother and definer while adding a touch of support under the belly and in the bra. Because the present invention provides a substantially seamless garment (except in some embodiments for relatively imperceptible belly and back panels) it affords the highest of comfort while giving the wearer shape and definition under her fashionable clothes without unsightly panty or bra lines.
A preferred embodiment of the invention is a spandex/polyester full body slip that covers, shapes and supports the upper torso and lower torso. Using technology and machinery currently available for fabricating clothing, I have created a seamless body shape to smooth the thigh, back waist and buttocks, slightly support the belly and provide a support bra at the chest.
Such a garment is knitted with ribbing at the under chest, and surrounding the belly. This creates a dual function of shaping and support around the belly and under the cups of the bra top. In the back there is also ribbing that allows for the shaping at the back waist and around the buttocks.
The non ribbed areas that cover the body act as a smoothing girdle, lightly hugging the body to eliminate bumps and dimples on the thighs, buttocks, and back waist caused by the extra pounds a woman gains during pregnancy.
In one embodiment, the combination of ribbing and jersey areas eliminate the need for seams that cause unsightly lines. The lightweight poly/spandex material of the preferred embodiment breathes well. Preferably it has a 4xc3x97 stretch which allows for comfort and flexibility.
In another embodiment, a mesh insert of high-stretch fabric covers the belly, the seams being configured such that they are not apparent under the wearer""s outer clothes.
The invention provides a maternity undergarment comprising a bust section, a torso section and a skirt section, the torso section including a belly panel of a more-stretchable fabric, the belly panel being surrounded by fabric that is less stretchable than the belly panel, the torso section being thereby adapted to accommodate the changing proportions of a pregnant woman""s belly and to provide gentle support thereto while smoothing and shaping her overall silhouette.
Preferably the skirt section is of a fabric that is less stretchable than the belly panel, e.g. it may be of the same fabric as the xe2x80x9cless-stretchable fabricxe2x80x9d of the torso section.
The bust section of the undergarment may include a brassiere section.
Such a brassiere section may be supported by a pair of straps adapted to be secured to any of a plurality of anchor points atop the brassiere section, whereby the straps may be adjusted as desired to accommodate changes in bust proportion of the wearer.
The belly panel is desirably a stretchable mesh fabric, e.g. tricot mesh of polyamide/spandex, and the rest of the torso section is a less-stretchable fabric, e.g. a polyester/spandex blend.
The undergarment may also have a V-shaped back panel of fabric different from the fabric of the rest of the torso section.
In an embodiment of the invention, the torso section is knitted so as to provide less-stretchable ribbing around the belly panel.
The bust section desirably comprises a brassiere section, and preferably the torso section is knitted to provide less-stretchable ribbing below the front of the brassiere section and around the top of the back of the torso section.
Optionally the brassiere section is supported by a pair of straps adapted to be secured to any of a plurality of anchor points atop the brassiere section, whereby the straps may be adjusted as desired to accommodate changes in the wearer""s bust proportions.
An advantage of the present invention is that a pregnant woman can wear slim-fitting maternity clothes without having unsightly panty lines. Another advantage is that she can wear tight or clinging maternity clothes without having the bumps and dimples-created by the extra pounds she has gained through pregnancy be obvious in her thighs, hips and buttocks, and back area. A further advantage is that a pregnant woman wearing a garment of the present invention can have some slight support under her belly, gently lifting the belly from the pelvis and hip carriage. Another advantage is that she can wear a single garment functioning as both a slip and bra.
Other advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following description and accompanying drawings.